Purifique is water infused with botanical essences: it fills the nose with a therapeutic fragrance and the mouth with exciting flavor. It goes where no water has gone before, Add sprigs of mint or ginger slices and you’ve got quite an experience.

Purifique

Aromatherapy Water for the At-Home Spa Experience

CAPSULE REPORT: Infused with botanical essences, this aromatherapy water pampers the body through its soothing fragrance, and refreshing complex flavors. But it’s also a delicious beverage for aperitifs, palate-cleansers, digestifs—even a “dessert water.” It’s costly because it’s a “spa product”; but it’s a nice treat for your foodie friends.

We don’t go to spas nearly as often as we’d like, but when we do, we find that we can’t stop inhaling. There’s something about that wonderfully relaxing aroma—usually some combination of lavender, mint, rose and cinnamon—that we can’t get enough of. And though we could drink in the scent all day long, we’d never considered actually drinking it. Then we tried Purifique. One sip, and it was clear: somehow, Purifique has managed to take that addictively calming scent and put it in water form.

We should say right off that Purifique is not for everyone. As far as many people—some food-lovers among them—are concerned, water is best left untouched. It has no taste (or little taste), and it should stay that way; flavored waters are a travesty. If you fall in this group, Purifique will not appeal; and the price tag, $29.95 for a gift pack of two 12.5-ounce bottles, will seem outrageous. If, on the other hand, you enjoy subtly flavored waters, particularly those with interesting, complex characters, you will likely find this drink fascinating.

Presented as “The First Authentic Aromatherapy Drink,” Purifique is described as “phytoaromatic distillations infused in pure spring waters.” In other words, it is spring water infused with botanical essences. There are two flavors: depending on whether you are more gustatory or aromatherapeutic in nature, you can choose: Ginger Mint Bouquet, a.k.a. Purifique Spirit™, or Cinnamon Rose Bouquet, a.k.a. Purifique Harmony™. Sprightly Ginger Mint has a universal appeal; sexy Cinnamon Rose will appeal to those who prefer more exotic tastes. Think “Malibu” versus “Casablanca.”

The website (which is a bit new-age-y with lots of spa-like references to “your sense of being” and “cleansing power”) makes many claims on the beverage’s behalf, some reasonable, others quite lofty. We have no trouble accepting the claim that it has no caffeine, no sugar, no sweeteners, no oils, no sodium and nothing artificial. And we’ll buy that it is uplifting, calming, rejuvenating—even that it is a digestive aid. But can it really jog your memory? Boost your confidence? Support cellular integrity? Seems like a bit of a stretch.

But whether or not Purifique can live up to these claims is irrelevant to us. The reason it’s recommended by THE NIBBLE is because it tastes special. It is worth drinking, not for its purported benefits (though they would be a nice added benefit), but for its unusual flavor profile and refreshing effect.

Like anything with a complex flavor, knowing where to include Purifique, culinarily speaking, requires some thought. At these prices, you’d have to be of substantial means to drink it in place of regular water. Instead, consider it as a special occasion water, like a fine half-bottle of wine, and pair it accordingly, serving it in small glasses. Some possibilities:

An alternative to the usual sparkling water aperitif or water-with-lemon at the table (mix it with club soda for an invigorating drink, or carbonate it with the Penguin Soda and Seltzer Maker)

With salads, fruit, or pasta

With vegetarian and Asian cuisines

As a palate-cleanser between courses

As a dessert water

As an after-dinner digestif

With chocolates

As a morning “palate-awakener” on a special day

On the spa front, we like it as:

When relaxing in a aromatherapy bath or whirlpool

An after-yoga drink, not to rehydrate but to enhance the calming effects of the exercise

Purifique is a lifestyle water: for aromatherapy or for the pure pleasure of taste.

It’s a luxury, but we love it.

Outdoors in a casual setting, Purifique is a sophisticated alternative to water-with-lemon.

At lunch or dinner, Purifique can be an aperitif, a palate-cleanser, a dessert water, or a digestif.

It’s true that the price is high, but fortunately, a little bit of Purifique goes a long way. A small juice glass-full is enough to excite your tastebuds. Our advice: buy the two-bottle gift pack, invite some food-loving friends over, and serve it with or after the meal. It’s one of those special things people won’t have had before, and will want to have again.